Last ditch effort i bet they were on their hands and knees lets be frank here the average viewing figures for the NRL matches on Premier a couple of years ago were around 6000,i would doubt if they were more than double that now in my estimation we are looking at a maximum of around 20000 for RLWC matches which just about puts us on par with netball (In fact its half of that:((((

No matter how much spin is put on it this deal is a disaster FULL STOP

CM

Considering one of the main aims for this tournament is to raise awareness of the sport then I'm inclined to agree with you.

The one thing that is giving me hope is that the number of exclusive games Premier has is open to change, so I hope the BBC pick up a handful of other games. I could live with secondary rights on a lesser channel if the BBC had 10-15 games live and extensive highlights programmes.

At the moment, the BBC hasn't really bought into the World Cup, they've bought into the England RL team.

Maybe the England team need to produce some great rugby league performances and fans need to turn out in big numbers and the RLWC2013 team have to create great events out of the games and then the BBC will buy into rugby league. After all, they aren't morally or legally obliged to buy into our sport. We need to make it attractive to them and give them something to believe in. If we can do that then for all we know there could be some renegotiations to the positive following on from the world cup.

For me, the BBC has to show at least 2 of the quarter finals (England & Australia) and have one of the semi finals and extensive highlights of the other. This deal isn't quite good enough, and dilutes the RLWC's importance.

I don't know the viewing figures on Premier Sports - can anyone post them? If as CM asserts we are looking at 20k viewers then it isn't good at all.

I disagree that it's a problem. I mean, the outreach to potential new fans is through the BBC. There just isn't a better channel for reaching the agnostic than the BBC. If they promote the games enthusiastically and schedule them wisely then even better. There are plenty of games being shown to have the desired effect, especially when you bear in mind the number of people who have claimed to be converted to RL by just watching one particular game a season: namely, the Challenge Cup. This deal is six times that number on consecutive weeks to the whole nation. In this day and age, that's great for us.

Meanwhile, anyone already a rugby league stalwart or those who having seen a taster match on the BBC want to watch more, have as much international rugby league as they could possibly want for an extra ten quid a month at most. Bargain!

I disagree that it's a problem. I mean, the outreach to potential new fans is through the BBC. There just isn't a better channel for reaching the agnostic than the BBC. If they promote the games enthusiastically and schedule them wisely then even better. There are plenty of games being shown to have the desired effect, especially when you bear in mind the number of people who have claimed to be converted to RL by just watching one particular game a season: namely, the Challenge Cup. This deal is six times that number on consecutive weeks to the whole nation. In this day and age, that's great for us.

Meanwhile, anyone already a rugby league stalwart or those who having seen a taster match on the BBC want to watch more, have as much international rugby league as they could possibly want for an extra ten quid a month at most. Bargain!

It is a problem though. The fact that the BBC have seen fit to only show one game per weekend (at the moment) and only those games that feature England show that they haven't really bought into the tournament.

Games like NZ v Samoa or PNG v France would show that there is more to international RL than England v Australia.

The BBC showed 4 live international games last Autumn, this is hardly a massive step up considering they had 28 available. I think that's why people are disappointed.

Now we may be pleasantly surprised and the BBC may show extensive highlights of the tournament at decent times, nationally, but I won;t hold my breath on this one. They haven't treated this is a major event, and that is a problem.

Maybe the England team need to produce some great rugby league performances and fans need to turn out in big numbers and the RLWC2013 team have to create great events out of the games and then the BBC will buy into rugby league. After all, they aren't morally or legally obliged to buy into our sport. We need to make it attractive to them and give them something to believe in. If we can do that then for all we know there could be some renegotiations to the positive following on from the world cup.

it is attractive its the best game on the planet why they wouldn't buy into it is a complete mystery, we are probably the second best team in the comp, al we need is one big game against the aussies in the final and they will be falling over each other to sign it up.

Now this is the Law of the Jungle --as old and as true as the sky;And the Wolf that shall keep it may prosper,but the Wolf that shall break it must die.

As the creeper that girdles the tree-trunkthe Law runneth forward and back --For the strength of the Pack is the Wolf,and the strength of the Wolf is the Pack.

it is attractive its the best game on the planet why they wouldn't buy into it is a complete mystery, we are probably the second best team in the comp, al we need is one big game against the aussies in the final and they will be falling over each other to sign it up.

Exactly. If England play well - better still, if we beat the Aussies - then chances are that will do the sport a world of good. The best outcome of course would be for England to win the comp. (So we'd better get praying for drastic loss of form or ankle sprains to Slater, Cronk et al just in time for the competition!)

It is a problem though. The fact that the BBC have seen fit to only show one game per weekend (at the moment) and only those games that feature England show that they haven't really bought into the tournament.

I think they have bought into it; just not as much as we would all like. But as you suggest, we may be pleasantly surprised by the way in which the BBC handles the comp and everything ends up looking rosy. Let's hope so. I'm prepared to judge them at the end of it all rather than now. I'm preferring to be happy that the BBC are showing any games at all. They certainly aren't obliged to!

Last ditch effort i bet they were on their hands and knees lets be frank here the average viewing figures for the NRL matches on Premier a couple of years ago were around 6000,i would doubt if they were more than double that now in my estimation we are looking at a maximum of around 20000 for RLWC matches which just about puts us on par with netball (In fact its half of that:((((

No matter how much spin is put on it this deal is a disaster FULL STOP

CM

Absolutely agree. There is no doubt that the highest bidder of some low bids were taken.

Again, short term gain has been chosen over long term.

Think of all the pubs in the country outside the heartlands that may have had the RLWC on had sky been given the rights over PS. I know very little pubs that have PS and I don't imagine they will be flocking to subscribe because of the RLWC.

This is an absolute tragedy for the game in the UK and quite simply a stuff up from the authorities who have ignored their own expressions of the importance for this competition to increase the profile of the sport.

im trying hard not to be negative about this deal, but to me it just doesn't seem to be anything different from what we already had.. For a tournament like this i would expect BBC news to carry extensive previews of the days games in its morning sports bulletins, across TV and radio, and also results, features and reaction in its evening and nightly sports news broadcasts. I would also expect promo's being aired at least 1 month before the first broadcast, and at regular intervals leading up to the first game, at least two promo's per day, with one being prime time. combine that with a highlights show on the evening of any games that are played ,and a decent live broadcast, that would be buying in to the tournament.. that's what every other major sport in this country would get.. and i don't think the above is really that much to ask for .. unless of course the broadcaster showing the tournament is just happy to do the bare minimum, and not prepared to back the tournament fully.

What are the chances that Premier will offer a special RLWC streaming package? I'm on VIrgin too so TV's off the agenda, and I'm not particularly interested in subscribing to their whole streaming system, but I'd probably buy a reasonably priced package for just the World Cup games (like the NHL do on Gamecenter just for the playoffs).

Absolutely agree. There is no doubt that the highest bidder of some low bids were taken.

Again, short term gain has been chosen over long term.

Think of all the pubs in the country outside the heartlands that may have had the RLWC on had sky been given the rights over PS. I know very little pubs that have PS and I don't imagine they will be flocking to subscribe because of the RLWC.

This is an absolute tragedy for the game in the UK and quite simply a stuff up from the authorities who have ignored their own expressions of the importance for this competition to increase the profile of the sport.

Thing is, how many pubs would have actually shown the RL outside of the heartlands? Especially if there was, say, some soccer on. I don't come from very far from the heartlands, but I know of very few pubs around there that would show the RL if I didn't ask. So what is worse - RLWC on PS, or RLWC on SS4, with all the pubs actively choosing to not show it?

Thing is, how many pubs would have actually shown the RL outside of the heartlands? Especially if there was, say, some soccer on. I don't come from very far from the heartlands, but I know of very few pubs around there that would show the RL if I didn't ask. So what is worse - RLWC on PS, or RLWC on SS4, with all the pubs actively choosing to not show it?

It is possible that when there are non football conflicting fixtures or those scheduled to start immediately after football, it is likely that the pubs may just leave the telly on. Less chance when they don't have PS or have to change the channel.

I think the RFL need to link up with a chain pub or two, I'm not entirely sure which one, but I'm sure a lot of pubs now have a company who watch over them.

This is a very good idea. I am not sure of any deal that exists like this with other sports.

During the last union world cup i was on holiday in the South of France, every bar that served Heineken, which was pretty much most, had some form of promotional branding, whether it was posters advertising games, beer mats etc.. not sure if the RLWC have linked up with an alcohol partner yet, But someone like Tetleys would be the obvious choice. Heineken are a long term partner of the union mob though..